Stressors and Child Development

There are many stressors that can have a negative impact on a child's life. These sometimes uncontrollable stressors can disrupt the everyday lives and overall development of children. I have experienced some of these stressors as a child. One of these particular stressors was a hurricane. I lived in southern florida when Hurricane Andrew hit. Many of my family members lost their homes or had to endure poor living conditions for months. My education was put on pause and at times did not have very much interaction with other children because being outside was dangerous until debris was removed. I do remember the feelings of worry that I had until things returned to normal.

Some other very prominent stressors that effect children are racism and poverty. I discovered a report that discussed the ways in which both were linked.  In many countries, a person's race can be linked to their level of success (income, education  level, opportunities). Brazil is one of these countries. According to UNICEF (2010), 62% of children who are not attending school are of African or Indigenous decent.  Brazil developed a campaign to promote racial equality, especially for children. This is a great idea but very difficult because many do not believe that there is a racism issue in the country. André Lázaro who is the Secretary of Continued Education, says the biggest problem as far as racism in Brazil is concerned lies in fact that Brazilians don't see themselves as prejudiced, making it difficult to sensitize them around the issue.

I do believe that raising awareness is very positive. But more opportunities need to be available. Schools and other resources should be available in the areas that need them.





http://www.unicef.org/about/annualreport/files/Brazil_COAR_2010.pdf

Immunizations

Immunizations are important in the defense of certain diseases.  Polio, Smallpox, and Measles are a few of the diseases that have been combated due to vaccines. While this is very positive, there are some issues that stem from vaccines that have been causing many concerns in recent years.
Many of these issues have to do with reactions to vaccines and also the safety of so many vaccinations in early childhood.

This is a very hot topic in my work place. Many of my coworkers have recently had children. Many questions are thrown around:
"Why do my kids need way more shots than I got?"
"Why can't certain shots be separated?"
"Who's your doctor? Do they let you pick your shot schedule?"
 "How are you handling vaccines?"

I must mention that my coworkers and I have been working in special needs populations for many years. When you hear that many children that you work with were fine until they received a certain vaccination, it may create some concern in regards to our own children.

Many of my coworkers have decided to space out vaccines instead of having their children receive multiple doses at once.  The concept of spacing out vaccines is based on a book written by Dr. Sears. The book is titled "The Vaccine Book".  Dr. Sears is a pediatrician who explains why certain vaccines are given, the contents of the vaccine,  the risks of certain vaccines, and offers an alternative vaccine schedule.  This book is very controversial but it can be an option for some parents.  I do believe vaccinations are important but I will take the time to research multiple aspects once I do have children.

I will link some addition information about vaccines below, these support both sides of the issue:

http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/health-concerns/vaccines

http://www.generationrescue.org/resources/vaccination/vaccine-ingredients-and-side-effects/

http://www.vaccinateyourbaby.org/safe/autism/overburdening.cfm

Adhering to vaccine schedule is best way to protect children from disease 

• Fisher, et al.

AAP News 2009; 30:4
http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/_issues2012/2012_vaccinations.html

Child Birth Experience

I haven't been involved in many birth experiences. The few that I have been apart of have been all the same. Family and friends get a phone call and everyone heads to the hospital. We all play the waiting game. Once the baby is born we all get to see the baby through a window and eventually visit the new parents and family at home. The hospital is usually a clean and sterile setting. The healthcare professionals treat women and their families respectfully. They ensure that the mother and child are healthy and do not have any complications. I do have one friend that did have her baby at her home with a midwife. She had her daughter in a small swimming pool without medication and without doctors. This isn't very common amongst my friends and family. 

After some research, I selected South Africa to use as my example of a birth experience outside of North America. Women can have children in a hospital setting but it os not always the best of situations. According to Nordqvist (2011), women in labor are treated horribly and in many cases ignored and sent home. This results in a high infant and mother mortality rate. Women are also subject to abuse from the hospital staff. This is an excerpt from a woman who is HIV positive: 

       "My uncle advised me to call the ambulance when labor started but  
   I did not want to go to the hospital. I was scared of how I would 
   be treated. I hear the nurses are very rude and they are too 
   rough. After giving birth I developed serious problems. I was 
   bleeding too much and I couldn't breathe properly. Luckily the 
   HIV treatment center took me to hospital, and eventually I got 
   treated (Nordqvist,2011)." 

There are some extreme differences in the conditions between the two countries. In North America, women are well taken care of. They are given clean places to give birth and are given great medical care. In South Africa, women aren't treated with respect and are neglected during labor and after the child is born. Women and children are at risk of major complications with the possibility of death or major medical complications. This would not happen in the United States unless there was an extreme case of medical neglect. 

I believe that these negative aspects of the birthing experience in South Africa can have negative aspects on development. The neglect  that mothers receive can result in the inability to provide a nurturing environment for their child. This can possibly result in the child's ability to meet developmental milestones. 

Nordqvist, C. (2011).The Shocking Truth About Giving Birth In South Africa. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/232413.php